This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(f) of the earlier application for European Community Plant Variety Rights which was filed for the instant plant variety on Feb. 3, 2012, Application Number 2012/0271.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hardy garden pink, that is grown for use as a flowering plant for pots and containers and for planting in the garden and landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Dianthus×hybrida and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘WP11 TYR04’.
‘WP11 TYR04’ is a complex hybrid plant that is the product of a long term breeding program conducted by the inventor in a cultivated area of Houndspool, Dawlish, Devon, United Kingdom. The inventor selected ‘WP11TYR04’ in 2004 for its strongly patterned cherry red, white-pink single flowers with a deep cherry eye, ruffled petal edges, moderate fragrance and blue-green foliage.
‘WP11 TYR04’ arose and was selected as a seedling which resulted from the open pollination of an existing selection of Dianthus from the inventor's breeding program, namely Dianthus code name ‘Zora’ (unpatented and unreleased) as the female parent plant, by an unknown selection from the breeding program as male parent plant. The male parent was growing within the inventor's stock of breeding lines.
‘WP11 TYR04’ is distinguishable from the female parent as follows: Whereas the flower of ‘WP11 TYR04’is single and strongly patterned cherry red, white-pink with a deep cherry eye, the flower of ‘Zora’ is semi-double and shell pink in color. The flowers of ‘Zora’ are smaller than the flowers of ‘WP11 TYR04’. In addition, the foliage of the ‘Zora’ is green in color, whereas the foliage of ‘WP11 TYR04’ is blue-green in color.
The identity of the male parent is unknown and therefore a comparison is not possible.
The variety of Dianthus which is considered by the inventor to most closely resemble ‘WP11 TYR04’ is the inventor's variety Dianthus ‘Starburst’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,162). The flowers of ‘Starburst’ have a similar blotching pattern on their petals, but the patterns and colors are different. ‘WP11 TYR04’ has a radiating pattern of white-pink on a background of cherry red with pronounced white stamens. ‘Starburst’ has a more subdued pattern of pink-white on a background of cherry red with distinctive pointed petals and the stamens are covered by the petals. Additionally the flowers of ‘Starburst’ are semi to fully double, while ‘WP11 TYR04’ bears single blooms with ruffled petal edges.
Asexual reproduction of ‘WP11 TYR04’ was first accomplished by the inventor in 2004 in a cultivated area of Houndspool, United Kingdom. The method of asexual propagation used was vegetative cuttings. The inventor has determined that ‘WP11 TYR04’ is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.